Following the Past
Katsuki rested upon a ledge near the Magic Council's headquarters. She stared forlornly at the the massive lawns that resided in front of the grand building, today was not a good day. As assigned by the Magic Council, she was to hire a a man known as Oathkeeper. Apparently he had an astoundingly prestigious track record, having completed every job he signed up for. However, this was no simple affair that they were to undertake; the two were to deal with the underbelly of their world. This mission in particular was something Katsuki had a vested interest in. It involved her good friend, rival and sometime teammate Aojiro. Or perhaps she should say ex, considering the former's abrupt exit from society and general existence. Either way, they were to do recon on the dark side of things, pertaining to the nature of dark mages and even entire dark guilds suddenly dropping off the map. While their job wasn't to engage, tracking this trend was not something she was excited to do, considering Katsuki already had a good idea who was behind it. Tiring of the ground, Katsuki looked up at the clear blue sky, her hand resting on her trusted katana. "Why did you have to leave Aojiro?" Katsuki asked to no one in particular, before sighing. It was going to be a long day. Walking near the Magic Council's headquarters was a black-haired man adorned in a simple three-piece suit and a tie. Lifting his left hand, he adjusted his tie and ensured it was presented properly, before finding the person he was looking for. "Katsuki Naruko?" The man asked the woman standing there, having no particular expression beyond a light smile out of courtesy. He was a Mage known as Kenneth, the Oathkeeper. Affiliated to the Phoenix Guild, he took this job from the Magic Council due to wishing to keep his relationship with them strong, given the advantages it boasted. Although this particular mission appeared to be more personal, if his client's face suggested anything. Katsuki looked down to see a man standing a short distance away from her. She stood, before offering to shake hands. "Indeed. I take it your Kenneth, better known as the Oathkeeper. Considering the nature of our current operation, we'll need all the good luck we can get," Katsuki responded. "I'll be brief. Our current job is to do recon in order to uncover the source of the sudden disappearance of entire dark guilds we were monitoring prior to their dropping off the map. Not that we're complaining about having less dark guilds to track, but we'd like to know the nature of the individual(s) that are causing this trend to happen. Namely if they're friend or foe." she continued, resting on her sword. Once again, Aojiro's face appeared in Katsuki's mind, as she wondered what had caused her friend to leave the guild so suddenly. The latter's secluded ways made learning about Aojiro difficult, though she did know that her parents had been killed in an attack. Beyond that, Katsuki knew little. "As of now, we're headed to one of the guilds that disappeared a few weeks ago. Considering we have an idea of the coordinates, we're hoping to intercept any nearby witnesses to receive an explanation." It was a personal thing indeed. "I see." Kenneth's face was almost stoic in response to this information. Despite the grave nature of the information, Kenneth's vast experience allowed him to take in all the details without losing his composure. "If that's the case, then please lead the way Miss Naruko." Kenneth gestured. In all his years, he knew the difference between professional and personal requests by now. Judging by the distant expressions his client was making, it was undoubted that this Job was more than just simple reconnaissance: of course, he refused to ask questions that wouldn't impact the success of the Job. Satisfied that Kenneth had processed all of the information completely, Katsuki nodded before leading the way. The walk itself was rather brief, as they reached a vehicle that would take them the rest of the way. Plugging in the coordinates that the Archivist had provided, Katsuki strapped herself in before motioning for Kenneth to do the same. With that complete, she turned on the vehicle via SE plug and began driving. Her face never deviated from a somber expression despite the whirlwind of thoughts that existed in her mind. Considering that most of the area was forest, the roads were rough, though Katsuki handled them expertly. She enjoyed driving, seeing it as a therapeutic remedy for the mystery that was her friend Aojiro. Due to the speed of the vehicle combined with good directions, they made excellent time, causing Katsuki to relax ever so slightly. Finally, she was taking action about finding her friend once more. That is, until the stench hit her nose. The pungent, unyielding smell of decay combined with a heavy silence. Now that she had thought about it, there had been a lack of wildlife going about their business. While she initially thought it was the vehicle, she now knew otherwise. This was the smell of death, an unnatural one at that. Katsuki stopped the vehicle short before unplugging. "We walk from here," Katsuki said, making sure to leave the vehicle in her line of sight as they made the last steps on foot. As they rode through the vehicle, Kenneth was relatively silent. While Katsuki focused on driving and her own thoughts, Kenneth was utilizing his Archive in order to determine their location and whether there were notable Guilds in his vicinity. Katsuki was correct, the Guilds in this vicinity were wiped out. "This might prove to be quite dangerous." Kenneth mulled to himself, as the duo reached their destination. Following Katsuki's lead, Kenneth exited the vehicle and began to walk behind his client. It was odd, normally he was the person in the lead: this time he behind. It was a strange, almost refreshing feeling. Katsuki wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted her when they stepped out of the forest. She stopped short, before falling to her knees. The stench that had proliferated earlier now came full force, becoming something thick and tangible; the rotten smell of decay. While no medical examiner, she would estimate that this took place about 1-2 weeks ago. The guild itself was entirely annihilated, as if a local storm front had decided to take it out. Strewn about the area were bodies in various states of decomposition, maggots and other scavengers taking their fill while avoiding the blackened blood from the corpses. There was nary a spot of green to be found, covered as it was with so much grizzly death and despair. It was a feeling that choked Katsuki. While this former dark guild was infamous for their raids and unabashed thievery, such an end felt....inhumane. Despite their standing has an enemy of the magic council, Katsuki felt no one deserved to meet such a fate. "I don't know what to say......" Katsuki started before stopping, struck by how unnatural this felt. There was no war to be had here, just a massacre. Part of her wanted to ask if Kenneth could potentially look for clues among this scene, but the words wouldn't come to her. What happened to you..... Katsuki thought, feeling the residue of such potent storm based etherano; the fact that could be felt told her just how much was used here.